SONG DIVING - An American Songwriter Podcast

We go Song Diving with Jimmy Webb, the legendary songwriter behind some of the most enduring songs in American popular music, including “Wichita Lineman,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston,” and “Didn’t We.”
We get into the stories behind his songs, including how Glen Campbell recorded “Wichita Lineman” before Jimmy even thought he’d finished writing it, the time Jimmy tried to sneak a curveball past Frank Sinatra with an unpolished song and what Sinatra had to say about it, and how he wrote “Didn’t We” entirely in his head while driving to Newport Beach, then walked into a house and played it for the first time.
We also geek out on the music that shaped him, from the gospel songs he grew up playing in church to the moment he heard the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and felt his musical world turn over. We talk about the genius of George Martin, the influence of Joni Mitchell, and how Jimmy heard a version of his own song, “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress,” that was so beautiful and so different from what he’d imagined, he had to pull over.
Along the way, Jimmy sits down at the piano to bring these songs and stories to life.
It’s a conversation about the sophistication and mystery of great songwriting, the unpredictable nature of inspiration, and the drive to keep creating, even when you’ve already written some of the greatest songs of all time.

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We go Song Diving with Andy Grammer, the multi-platinum singer-songwriter behind hits like “Keep Your Head Up,” “Honey, I’m Good,” “Good to Be Alive,” and “Don’t Give Up on Me.”
We get into the stories behind his songs, including how a 12-hour day of street performing without making a dollar inspired “Keep Your Head Up,” and how one of his biggest hits, “Honey, I’m Good,” came out of his manager sending him back to the drawing board after he’d written 100 songs for an album without finding a hit.
We also explore the music that shaped him, from growing up in a house with parents who wrote children’s music and listened to Paul Simon and Billy Joel, to the pivotal moment when he discovered John Mayer and Lauryn Hill in the same week. We also talk about his fascination with Louis Prima and the magic of an artist who sounds like nobody else.
It’s a conversation about persistence, chasing that elusive spark in songwriting, and the realization behind “Who Is Saving Who?” that sometimes the people who are saved by your songs are the very people saving you.

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We go Song Diving with Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Judy Collins.
We get into the stories behind songs like “Both Sides Now,” “Suzanne,” “Since You’ve Asked,” “My Father,” “Someday Soon,” and “Send in the Clowns.”
We also explore the songs and artists who shaped the way Judy hears, writes, and interprets music, from the traditional ballad “Barbara Allen” and the folk songs she discovered growing up to Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Stephen Sondheim.
And we talk about her classical piano training, the song that changed the course of her life, hearing Joni Mitchell sing “Both Sides Now” over the phone, and Leonard Cohen playing her “Suzanne” before he was even sure it was a song.
It’s a conversation about recognizing a great song, discovering your own voice as a songwriter, and a lifetime spent listening for the songs that demand to be sung.

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We go Song Diving with Warren Haynes, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter for the Allman Brothers Band and founder of Gov’t Mule.
We get into the stories behind songs he’s written, including “Soulshine,” “Banks of the Deep End,” “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House,” “Beautifully Broken,” and “My Separate Reality.”
We also explore the music that shaped him, from hearing Simon & Garfunkel and Black gospel as a kid to discovering John Prine, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt, and later finding a deeper connection to the songwriting of the Grateful Dead.
And we talk about how sneaking into an Asheville folk club as a teenager led to an education in songwriting, how “Soulshine” found its way onto an Allman Brothers Band record, finding a way forward with Gov’t Mule after the loss of Allen Woody, and how circling a line on a page of ideas became an iconic song for Garth Brooks.
It’s a conversation about the songs that get inside you before you understand why, how musical friendships can shape the songwriter you become, and finding new ways to explore, interpret, and carry forward the music that shaped you.

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We go Song Diving with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer Paula Cole.
We get into the stories behind songs she’s written, including “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?,” “I Don’t Want to Wait,” “Me,” “Chiaroscuro,” and “Hush, Hush, Hush.”
We also explore the songs and artists who shaped how Paula hears, writes, and produces music, from Kate Bush, John Lennon, and Joni Mitchell to XTC, k.d. lang, and Annie Lennox.
And we talk about growing up believing music should be self-made, learning to think like a drummer, finding the freedom to produce her own music, and what it means to return to the beginner’s mindset after decades of making records.
It’s a conversation about embracing your eccentricity, finding freedom in making music your own way, and the power of music to heal both the person making it and the people who hear it.

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We go Song Diving with Texas songwriting icon Ray Wylie Hubbard.
We get into the stories behind songs he’s written, including “Cassette Mix Tape,” “Snake Farm,” “Dust of the Chase,” “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” “Redneck Mother,” and “Mother Blues.”
We also explore the songs and artists who shaped how Ray hears and writes songs, from Michael Martin Murphey and Neil Young to Jimmy Reed and J.J. Cale.
And we talk about getting sober and rebuilding his career in his 40s, swallowing his pride and taking guitar lessons, the comfort of knowing you don’t have to write “Yesterday,” and the unexpected places a song can come from.
It’s a conversation about starting over, staying curious, learning from the songwriters who came before you, and making the kind of songs only you would think to write.

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We go Song Diving with five-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist Keb’ Mo’.

We get into the stories behind songs he’s written, including “Every Morning,” “Am I Wrong,” “Life Is Beautiful,” and “Stitched Up Heart.”
We also explore the songs and artists who shaped how Keb’ Mo’ hears, writes, and performs songs, from Motown and the blues to Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Taylor Swift.
And we talk about why Keb’ Mo’ considers one of his biggest failures his biggest success, why honesty and simplicity matter in songwriting, and The Breakdown, the record he says he’s been threatening to make for 30 years.
It’s a conversation about the long road to becoming yourself, the wrong turns that point you in the right direction, and why the truth is usually the best place to start a song.

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We go Song Diving with The Red Clay Strays frontman Brandon Coleman and guitarist Drew Nix, along with Brandon’s brother Matthew Coleman, one of the band’s chief songwriters.
We get into the stories behind songs they’ve written, including “Wanna Be Loved,” “Demons in Your Choir,” “Wondering Why,” “I’m Still Fine,” and “If I Didn’t Know You.”
We also explore the songs and artists who shaped how Brandon Coleman, Matthew Coleman, and Drew Nix hear, write, and perform songs, from Johnny Cash and Lynyrd Skynyrd to Guns N’ Roses, J. Roddy Walston, Brent Cobb, and NEEDTOBREATHE.
And we talk about what each of them brings to a song, why Brandon has to believe in a lyric to sing it, Matthew’s analytical approach and love of clever lyrics, how Drew turns moments from his own life into songs, and why sometimes one great line is enough to unlock an entire song.
It’s a conversation about collaboration, finding your place in a song, and the songs that keep you going when you need them most.

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We go Song Diving with Tift Merritt and get into the stories behind songs she’s written, including “Sugar,” “Traveling Alone,” “Mad World,” “Tambourine,” and “Good Hearted Man.”
Along the way, we explore the songs and songwriters who shaped how Tift hears and writes songs, from Emmylou Harris and Carole King to Maria McKee, Townes Van Zandt, and Dusty Springfield.
And we talk about why vulnerability is rock and roll, how stepping away from the music business helped her rediscover her voice, how songs can become personal manifestos, and why the artists we love can become North Stars that help us find our own path.
It’s a conversation about finding your voice, trusting your instincts, and the songs that remind us who we are.

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We go Song Diving with Ketch Secor, singer and songwriter for Old Crow Medicine Show, and get into the stories behind songs he’s written, including “Wagon Wheel,” “I Hear Them All,” “Dearly Departed Friends,” and “My Side of the Mountain.”
Along the way, we explore the songwriters who shaped how Ketch hears and writes songs, from Bob Dylan and John Hartford to Don Schlitz, Marty Stuart, and John McCutcheon.
And we talk about why Bob Dylan made his “teeth chatter,” why songs are “Greyhound bus tickets of the mind,” what David Rawlings taught him about the mechanics of songwriting, and why every word is an expression of just how much he loves language.
It’s a conversation about tradition, storytelling, and finding your own voice within the long conversation of American music.

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